Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, this paper employs difference-in-difference propensity score matching to examine whether the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) contributes to childhood obesity. We find no statistically significant SNAP effect among the 12- to 20-year-old participants when controlling for selection bias and more accurately defining the treatment and comparison groups. The results are robust to various robustness checks including redefining the treatment and comparison groups by excluding those who previously enrolled in the SNAP, using an alternative treatment definition based on SNAP benefits received, using different specifications of the propensity score equation, and employing different estimation techniques (covariate matching and inverse probability weighting). The robustness analyses regarding unobservables also find no statistically significant SNAP effects. This study differs from previous research in three major aspects. First, we carefully examine the intensity of SNAP participation (full-time versus part-time) and the amount of SNAP benefits received for one-, two-, and three-year durations. Second, we focus on the change in the BMI (body mass index) or the obesity status rather than the level and control for the pretreatment BMI to avoid the confounding effects of the time-invariant factors. Third, instead of making parametric assumptions on the outcomes, we employ a variety of semiparametric estimators to control for the selection bias of program participation. The results show that the SNAP is not responsible for the higher prevalence of obesity among adolescents of low-income households. Proposed SNAP changes such as more frequent benefit distribution and a focus on fresh fruits and vegetables are likely to be ineffective in reducing childhood obesity, although they might encourage healthy dietary practices among SNAP participants.

Bibliography Citation

Fan, Maoyong and Yanhong Jin. "The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Childhood Obesity in the United States: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997." American Journal of Health Economics 1,4 (Fall 2015): 432-460.

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Understanding the effect of higher alcohol prices on alcohol demand according to one's level of alcohol consumption is crucial while evaluating the effectiveness of using alcohol taxes as an alcohol-control medium. In this study, I estimate the differential responses to alcohol prices on alcohol demand for young adults by asking whether heavy drinkers are more responsive to higher alcohol prices than light and moderate drinkers. To conduct the analysis, I use the data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97) for the years 1997 to 2008. To answer the research question on hand, I implement three different econometric methods: (1) pooled quantile regression; (2) quantile regression for panel data; and (3) finite mixture models. Findings from these methods consistently suggest that heavy drinkers respond to higher alcohol prices by lowering their alcohol intake. Since alcohol-related externalities are likely to be caused by heavy drinkers, the results emphasize the possibility of higher alcohol taxes curbing alcohol-related externalities associated with young adults by lowering the alcohol consumption among the heavy drinkers.

Bibliography Citation

Shrestha, Vinish. "Estimating the Price Elasticity of Demand for Different Levels of Alcohol Consumption among Young Adults." American Journal of Health Economics 1,2 (Spring 2015): 224-254.